Aspiring Adults Adrift

Insidehighered.com

September 2, 2014

By

Jake New

In their 2011 book Academically Adrift, authors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, argued that colleges are failing to educate students. Many undergraduates, the authors wrote, are "drifting through college without a clear sense of purpose," with more than a third of students not demonstrating any significant improvement in learning over four years in college.

Now Arum and Roksa have revisited a large sampling of those same undergraduates for a new book examining how they've fared after graduation. They're no longer students, the authors write, but they are still adrift.

Aspiring Adults Adrift: Tentative Transitions of College Graduates, published today by the University of Chicago Press, is the story of a generation's difficult transition to adulthood. Based on surveys and interviews with nearly 1,000 recent college graduates from the cohort featured inAcademically Adrift, the book reports that a large number of graduates are having difficulty finding jobs, living somewhere other than a parent's house, assuming civic and financial responsibility, and even developing stable romantic relationships.

"In the world of 'emerging adulthood,' the late teens and early 20s are an age of discovery and exploration," the authors write. "A four-year residential college experience is particularly conducive to fully experiencing this stage of life, as it affords students time and opportunity to learn about themselves and others."

But now this experience extends far after graduation, and colleges, the authors argue, share a large part of the blame.

"Colleges are implicated in this," Arum, a professor of sociology and education at New York University, said in an interview. "They've legitimated this. Students are going away to college for a longer and longer time. Colleges are disinvesting in faculty and investing in amenities."

Many four-year universities attend to students' social adjustment rather than developing their characters, he said, allocating resources toward what will attract teenagers to their campuses rather than what will help them learn. Campuses cater to satisfying consumer preferences instead of providing rigorous academics and connecting what students learn to the real world, Arum and Roksa write. Like students and aspiring adults, they argue, colleges and universities are also adrift. "Both students and the schools they attend exist in larger structural and cultural contexts that have created the conditions under which the observed learning outcomes occur," the authors write. "Widespread cultural commitment to consumer choice and individual rights, self-fulfillment and sociability, and well-being and a broader therapeutic ethic leave little room for students or schools to embrace programs that promote academic rigor."

The result: Colleges are producing graduates with happy memories of their time in college but little sense of purpose or any "clear way forward."

One in four of the students surveyed and interviewed for the book reported that they were living at home two years after graduation, a proportion that is nearly double than in the 1960s. More than half said their lives lacked direction. Seven percent reported being unemployed, 12 percent said they had part-time jobs, and 30 percent were working full- time but earning less than $30,000 a year. Half of those graduates were earning less than $20,000.

College selectivity did not significantly affect the graduates' chances of employment, the authors write, and neither did gender, race or parental education.

Field of study had little effect on the probability of whether a graduate was working an unskilled or skilled occupation two years after graduation -- except for students who studied engineering and computer science. While the probability of graduates who studied social sciences, humanities, science, math, and communication working an unskilled job hovered between 14 and 17 percent, the probability for graduates who studied engineering and computer science was just 4 percent.

Field of study did affect the probability of unemployment, with graduates who studied business and STEM-related fields having lower unemployment rates than those who studied social sciences, liberal arts, and the humanities. Business majors had a 2 percent unemployment rate among the graduates surveyed for the book, while social work, education, and health majors were at 8 percent unemployment. Communications majors had an unemployment rate of 9 percent.

Many of those living at home and looking for skilled, full-time work were still financially dependent on their parents, and were "meandering" to and from potential career paths and jobs.

"There's a difference between meandering and exploration," Roksa, an associate professor of sociology and education at the University of Virginia, said in an interview. "There's no grand mission or purpose behind it. And the consequences of meandering can be very different based on the types of families a student comes from. For working class young adults, they don't have the support system and luxury to leave college and have a decade figuring out what they want to do."

Josh Jarrett, co-founder of Koru, a startup that helps graduates develop skills to find employment, said he doesn't fault colleges and universities as much as Arum and Roksa for aspiring adults' being adrift. There are other societal factors at play, he said, including the recent recession. In their book, the authors briefly note the effects of the recession, as well. The students they studied graduated when the recession was at its worst in 2009.

It may not entirely be colleges' fault that graduates are having so much difficulty transitioning into adulthood, Jarrett said, but it is up to them to find a solution.

"It’s not only at the seat of the academy that we can place these issues," he said. "It's what’s happening in society as well. But that does not take away the responsibility of higher education to take action. They may not have totally created this problem, but it's their problem they have to address.”

Not all of the graduates interviewed by Arum and Roksa found themselves at home with an uncertain future.

A particularly disciplined first-generation college student named Beth devoted nearly 25 hours a week to studying. That's more than double the amount of time her average peers invest in studying, the authors write. She majored in a health-related field, but made sure to complement her curriculum with liberal arts coursework like a history course about Islamic civilization. Two years after Beth's graduation, the authors found that she had married, was financially independent, and was employed in a "desirable position."

But Beth may be an outlier.

"Large numbers of students today do not apply themselves or develop academic skills in college," the authors write. "Thirty-six percent of full-time college students reported studying alone less than five hours per week."

Indeed, for every Beth, the authors interviewed several students who "were wading through their early 20s --- much as they had waded through college -- aspiring but adrift." Lucy, a biology major from a less-selective college, found work after graduation but only as a temporary receptionist. Linda, a psychology major from a selective college, was unemployed two years after graduating. Alice, a foreign language and literature graduate from a selective college, worked as a cashier at a cooperative food grocery store. Sonya, a public health major from a selective university, was living at home and working as a full- time baby sitter.

Nathan, who majored in business administration and graduated with a 3.9 grade point average, was a delivery driver for a chain of pharmacies. He found the job on Craiglist and earned less than $20,000.

"I can definitely do better," Nathan, who also moved back in with his parents, said to the authors. "I feel like I'm not using my degree at all. I put a lot of money on this thing and I feel like I'm not getting much out of it at the moment, but I think I will in the future." Despite their lack of success after graduation, many of these graduates -- Nathan included -- remained hopeful. The authors note a shared feeling of optimism among the adults in the study, despite some of their circumstances.

Ninety-five percent of the graduates said they expected their lives to be better than their parents'.

"They believed things would work out, even if they did not necessarily have plans for how that would happen," the authors write. "They were also convinced that their lives would be as good as those of their parents, if not better. This optimism in the face of challenges may be characteristic of the Academically Adrift cohort's generation. It may also reflect new ways of understanding adulthood that are tied more closely to subjective sentiments than to objective accomplishments, and that focus on the journey rather than the final destination."

Long Beach’s New City Public Schools charter has high hopes for new director By Nadra Nittle, Long Beach Press Telegram POSTED: 08/29/14

John Vargas, the new head of New City Public Schools. Long Beach, July 24, 2014. (Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer)

LONG BEACH >> The new leader of a Long Beach charter school that has battled low test scores is energizing the community with fresh hope, some of which he attributes to controversial Common Core State Standards guidelines that California schools must implement this school year.

Members of the New City Public Schools community say they have high expectations for its executive director, John Vargas, and his background in linguistics and financial acumen as he guides the school.

“It was clear from when we first spoke to John that he understands and embraced (New City’s) mission, that he was interested in and excited about the kind of pedagogical underpinnings of our school, our charter and how we do education,” said Madeline Holler, chairwoman of New City’s board of directors.

Founded in 2000, New City School serves more than 400 students in transitional kindergarten through grade 8. Long Beach Unified authorizes the charter of the school, which offers a dual-immersion Spanish-language curriculum and focuses on such areas as comprehensive student learning, social justice and community-building. New City is one of two charter schools in Long Beach. The other, Intellectual Virtues Academy, opened last year and serves middle-school students.

The school has taken some headline-making hits over the years. Last November, it faced the possible revocation of its charter because students — the majority of whom are low- income English Language Learners — failed to make the grade on the California Standards Test the previous year. It marked the third consecutive year since 2011 that New City did not meet standardized test score targets. In February, however, the school received a reprieve from state Department of Education officials, who determined that New City took adequate steps to improve.

The phase-out of the California Standards test may work in New City’s favor. Public schools are implementing Common Core State Standards, a national set of guidelines for English-language arts and math instruction for kindergarten through 12th grade. From this school year forward, California students will take the Smarter Balanced assessment aligned to Common Core.

Since 2010, 43 states have adopted the Common Core State Standards, which state governors and education commissioners developed with feedback from teachers, parents, school principals and educational experts. Before Common Core, different states had different academic standards for these core subjects.

Opposition has come from cities such as Bellflower, and conservative groups and politicians have characterized Common Core as a federal intrusion on states’ rights, arguing that it will result in states losing control over the academic benchmarks they want students to meet. In July, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker called for the Legislature in his state to repeal its adoption of the standards.

Vargas, who comes to New City from the Crown Preparatory Academy charter school in Los Angeles, thinks the Common Core standards strongly suit New City students.

“One thing I believe people will see is that our constructivist model is more closely aligned to (Common Core) than the past standards, so we will see some natural increases in our standardized test results,” said Vargas, who served as Crown’s business and operations manager.

The constructivist model derives from the idea that people acquire knowledge through the exchange of their perceptions and experiences. The theory was developed by the late Swiss psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget.

Holler believes that New City is in a “really interesting and strong position” because of Common Core. She said the new standards, which focus on analytical and evidence- based learning, complement New City’s focus on comprehensive learning. She’s excited that Vargas will lead New City as the Common Core State Standards fully roll out in schools.

Vargas said that throughout the school year, New City will assess students on their understanding of the Common Core State Standards to monitor their progress.

Now pursuing a master’s degree in linguistics at Cal State Long Beach, Vargas said that New City’s dual-immersion program attracted him to the school.

“The dual-immersion program really gives hope for students to become fully bilingual,” he said. “It involves English and Spanish and will obviously give students an appreciation of two cultures. As our nation continues to become a multicultural melting pot, it’s definitely an advantage for our students to have.”

Vargas succeeds Sabrina Bow as executive director at New City. Bow has since launched her own business, Evergreen Associates LLC, which provides support to schools and school leaders.

Although Vargas is just 32 years old, he said that he has racked up extensive experience in education. The UCLA graduate co-founded Global Education Academy, a Los Angeles charter school; served as vice president of school finance at ExED, a Los Angeles business that provides financial services to charter schools; and as executive director for Full Circle Learning Academy, another Los Angeles charter school. He was a Hawthorne board member and is an El Camino College District trustee.

Vargas said that his business know-how will benefit New City as the school applies for the five-year renewal of its charter this school year. He said that fiscal and financial skills play key roles in the operation of charter schools.

“I believe I have the expertise to help New City move forward,” he said.

Holler agreed, pointing out that charter schools are responsible for their own finances.

“There’s no one to sort of hand it off to,” she said. “We make our budget and funding plan. We’re like our own entity.”

Giselle Fong, a mother of two New City students, served on the hiring committee that selected Vargas as executive director. She said that Vargas has the skills to keep the school going strong.

Fong said that she’s excited about Vargas because he’s bilingual and he could be sensitive to the needs of English learners, who make up roughly half the student body at New City.

“He understands how important it is to create community,” Fong said. “I get the sense that he would embrace the existing culture of having a really strong community and parent involvement.”

Fong said that at New City, “every person counts,” be they parents, students, administrators or teachers.

Doris Gorski, who teaches third through fifth grades at New City, participated in a teacher forum at the school when Vargas made a presentation. She said that Vargas understands the dynamics of charter schools and will be an asset to New City.

“I think New City School has been on a great trajectory and it is a good feeling that we can continue on the same path with John Vargas as executive director,” Gorski said. Vargas certainly believes he’s poised to take the school to new heights.

“It’s a fresh start for everyone, including me and the administration,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to take school to the next level.”

John Keenan, 1930-2014: Founder of Torrance-based Keenan & Associates dies at 84

By Larry Altman, Daily Breeze POSTED: 09/04/14,

John Keenan, who built his Torrance-based insurance business into one of the largest privately held brokerage and consulting firms in the country while stressing “people before profits,” has died. He was 84.

Keenan, chairman of Keenan & Associates on Crenshaw Boulevard, died Wednesday afternoon at Torrance Memorial Medical Center with family members at his side. Doctors discovered Keenan had a brain tumor when he suffered a stroke Saturday, his son, Phil Keenan, said Thursday.

Despite his condition, Keenan spent Sunday and Monday calling company administrators and family members to his hospital room to instruct them on how to run the business without him, his son said.

“He managed his death like he managed his company,” Phil Keenan said. “He did it his way.”

Born May 24, 1930, in Los Angeles, Keenan attended Catholic schools and Loyola University in Westchester. After graduating in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

Once he returned to Los Angeles, Keenan went to work in the insurance business, married his wife, Margaret Ann, in 1955, and purchased a three-bedroom house in the Hollywood Riviera section of Torrance in 1957.

Keenan worked while his wife raised their seven sons — Dan, Phil, Kevin, Tim, Chris, Tom and Vincent, all of whom attended St. Lawrence Martyr School in Redondo Beach and South High School in Torrance. He was president of Hollywood Riviera Little League while his sons played and was a longtime member of the West End Tennis Club in Torrance. He later sold the house to a son and moved to Redondo Beach.

In 1972, Keenan became a pioneer in a niche insurance field when he and three employees opened Keenan & Associates in Torrance, specializing in insurance for schools and hospitals. The business rapidly grew, establishing offices in Riverside, Oakland, San Clemente, San Jose, Rancho Cordova, Redwood City, Pleasanton and Eureka. The company employs nearly 700 people, serving 950 public school districts, cities, counties and special districts, and more than 125 hospitals in California and other states.

“He came up with the idea to be able to insure school districts and teachers,” son Kevin Keenan said. “His deal was to help teachers get better benefits, and he basically invented the selling of insurance benefits as well as property and casualty insurance, as well as workers’ comp to school districts.”

The company is now the 17th largest broker in the United States and the largest independent broker in California, taking in more than $149 million in revenue in 2012- 13. The company provides insurance and services to schools, community colleges, hospitals and cities for employee benefits, health benefit management, workers’ compensation, risk management and property and liability.

“He was a legend in the insurance industry,” said Sean Smith, the company’s president and chief executive. “He really was an icon. He was really about niching and having market-specific units before it was fashionable.”

Company officials and family members said that throughout Keenan’s tenure, he emphasized customer service and placed his employees first, signing cards to them on their work anniversaries and giving bonuses at Christmas even if the company had a difficult year. He believed in “people before profits,” Smith said, and that every employee should “have a few extra dollars during the holiday season.”

“He wanted an environment where his employees could go coach their kids’ soccer teams,” Smith said. “It created an incredible culture here where there is an incredible loyalty and commitment to the firm.”

Remembering his roots, Keenan supported schools in South Los Angeles, providing donations to campuses such as St. Raphael’s School and Verbum Dei High School. His company participated for years in Verbum Dei’s Corporate Work Study program that provides internship for students. More than 20 students were interns at Keenan.

“Every Christmas he would go to the busboys around all the restaurants, and the janitors at West End, and give them a tip,” Kevin Keenan said.

Keenan required that his sons make names for themselves in other businesses before any could work for him, Phil Keenan said. Four of his sons and two grandchildren work for the company, but Smith was made CEO about 14 years ago. One of his sons is a police officer and another a firefighter.

Keenan rejected hundreds of millions of dollars over the years offered by other insurance companies trying to acquire his company, Phil Keenan said. He did not want his employees to lose their jobs as part of a large corporation. He made arrangements years ago that his company would not be sold following his death.

“Keenan & Associates is positioned to continue John’s vision into the future,” Smith said.

In addition to his sons, Keenan is survived by 12 grandchildren. His wife died in 1987.

Services are pending. Cal State trustees raise scenario of transfer-only university system

LA Times [email protected]

Could California State University one day limit enrollment to transfers, admitting burgeoning numbers of community college students but turning away new freshmen?

The idea sounds far-fetched, but that scenario was raised Tuesday by trustees who cautioned that insufficient state funding could radically reduce the mission of the nation's largest university system.

The warning came during a discussion of the preliminary 2015-16 budget, which predicted growing demand for the 23-campus system. The Cal State system drew a record 761,000 applications for the fall 2014 term.

Much of that demand, officials said, is likely to come from community college transfers for two reasons: increased state funding is expected to boost two-year college enrollment by 60,000 students this year, and increased numbers of community college students will earn associate degrees for transfer, which guarantee admission to a Cal State campus.

After years of budget cuts and enrollment declines, funding for the Cal State system is increasing under Gov. Jerry Brown's multiyear plan that calls for an additional $119.5 million each for the Cal State and University of California systems in 2015-16.

But that number is $116.5 million short of what the Cal State system says it needs for operations, including a target enrollment increase of about 12,000 students. About half the students who qualify for Cal State entry but are turned away end up at community colleges, further increasing the transfer numbers, officials said.

The fear is that increased demand from transfer students and stagnant funding to increase overall enrollment will squeeze out new freshmen, creating a potential "train wreck" ahead, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said.

"We do have a growing mismatch, and I think the executive branch and the three systems will have to act together," White said.

Board of Trustees Chairman Lou Monville said the model for the Cal State system could change.

"I have a core concern that this could fundamentally change our mission under the Master Plan (for Higher Education) to take the top one-third of the high school graduating class," Monville said.

In 2013, about 56,565 community college students transferred to Cal State campuses, including 1,400 with the associate degrees for transfer. The board is expected to finalize a budget plan at the November meeting.

Board members also received an update on the status of so-called student success fees, adopted by many campuses to pay for a variety of services but criticized as a sneaky attempt to get around tuition hikes.

So far, 12 campuses have adopted the fees, which range from $35 annually per student at Cal State Dominguez Hills (that fee is scheduled to incrementally increase to $560 a year) to $780 at the San Luis Obispo campus.

California lawmakers recently imposed a moratorium, ordering that no new fees be approved on campuses before Jan. 1, 2016, and requiring White to set up a committee to review student fee policies and recommend changes.

Proposed legislation would also provide more oversight of the approval process.

Robert DeWitz, a psychology student at Dominguez Hills, urged trustees to give students more say.

"Ideally, when they look at policy revisions regarding the fees, they'll consider the impact on students financially and democratically," DeWitz said.

The chancellor established an online forum for public comment on the fees.